Italy: Gas consumption in 2023 is at its lowest levels in 8 years

MILAN (Reuters) – Natural gas consumption in Italy fell last year to its lowest level since 2015.

This is what the electricity exchange operator GME said.

GME said consumption reached 63 billion cubic metres, down 8.4% from 2022, when fuel demand in the country had already seen a year-on-year decline.

The decline in consumption in 2023 is the result of a 16% year-on-year decline in gas-fired electricity production, as well as a 7.4% decline in gas consumption by businesses and households and a 4% decline in fuel for industrial purposes. section.

Gas imports to Italy fell by almost 12% to 60.6 billion cubic metres, the lowest value since 2015, as liquefied natural gas (LNG) becomes increasingly important in the country, in an attempt to gradually replace Russian gas arriving via pipelines. .

Fuel coming from Russia via pipelines represented 4% of total imports last year, while gas coming from Algeria decreased slightly compared to 2022, but it still represents the main source of imports for Italy.

(Translated by Camila Burri, Edited by Gianluca Semeraro)